Pencil-sharpener.



C. C. SPENGLER. PENCIL SHARPENER.v APPLlcMmN FILED Aua.14.1913.

1,204,694. Patented N0v.14,1916.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE,

CHARLES Cl SPENGLER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO SBENGLER BROTHERS COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

PENCIL-SHARPENER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application led August 14, 1913. Serial No. 784,670.

687,000, filed March 29, 1912, I have de scribed a form of pencil Sharpener which has many features in common with the pencil Sharpener of the present invention.

My present invention relates particularly to a form of pencil Sharpener in which a pair of cutters' is employed and to a point adjuster which is readily adjustable to vary the length of the point of a pencil which is sharpened, and which is provided with adjustable means fo'r regulating its limit of movement. Although my improved point adjuster maybe used with any style of pen,

cil Sharpener, it is .especially adapted for use in connection with my improved type of pencil Sharpener in which a pair of cylindricalL cutters is employed. I am aware that it is old to use two cylindrical cutters in a pencil Sharpener, but it is new, so far as I am aware, to employ a point adjuster in connection with such a pair of cutters, and it is to the end of providing a practical mechanical embodiment of this combination that my present invention is directed.

vThese and other advantages of my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a preferred embodiment of my improvements, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my pencil Sharpener, a portion of the casing being removed in order to show the interior mechanism more clearly;F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the cutter frame used in my pencil sharpener, the cutters being removed for the sake of additional cle'arness; and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the point adjuster. The pencil Sharpener consists of a base plate 10 having an up-turned apertured end 11. Fastened to the base plate 10 is a casing 12, in which is rotatably supported vthe cutter frame 13 having attached. thereto the 'forms no part of crank 14. By suitable mechanism, when the crank 14 is rotated not only is the cutter frame 13 itself rotated but the cylindrical cutters 15, 15 supported in said frame are also rotated on their own axes. Since the mechanism for accomplishing this result forms no part of my present invention, I will omit. further ,detailed description thereof. Fitting within the casing 12 is the drawer 16, which is for the purpose. of receiving the shavings caused by the sharpening of the pencil.

The pencil feeding device consists of a spring-controlled tube 17, having mounted thereon the head 18 provided with a suitable pencil holding chuck. The arm 19 extends downwardly into a suitable groove or slot in the base 10. When. a pencil is to be sharpened the head 18 with its tattached arm 19 and the tube 17 are bodily moved to the `left from the position indicated in Fig. 1,

a pencil is inserted in the chuck of the head 18,'andl the controlling spring causes the head 18 and' its attached parts to then normally move to the right, thereby automatilcally feeding the pencil tothe sharpening This. feeding mechanism my present invention.

The cutter frame 13 comprises the end` disks 20 and 21 which are connected with each other by the partition 22. The partition 22 isV provided with an opening or slot 23 through its central portion. Contained within this opening or slot is the guide block 24 provided with an enlarged. end 25 which abuts against the shoulder 26 of the slot 23 when the block reaches its limit of movement to the left, as indicated in Fig. 2. The guide block 24 may be secured in addevice proper.

Vjusted position by means of a screw or other 'similar' device extending through the partltion 22, the head of such screw being normally concealed by means of the removable cover 27.

The point adjuster 28 is pivotally secured to the partition 22 of the cutter frame 20 by means of the screw 29, this point adjuster` preferably being in the form of a bell-cranklever. The arm 30 of the point adjuster is l preferably hook-shaped on its end 31, so that the point of the pencil may always have a square bearing surface. The arm 32 of the point adjuster' 28 has the slot 33 near its end, thereby forming a relatively narrow abutment member 34. The main portion of -50 between the arm 32 is provided with a small lug 35,

which engages in one of the cup-shaped depressions 36 in the partition 22.

The partition 22 is provided with the block support 37 preferably integraljwith the partition 22, the function of this block support the block 24 in position butalso to aot as a stop surface for limiting the movement of the point adjuster 28 in the manner to be presently described.

Having thus described the various parts employed in my invention, the operation of the same may now be readily understood:

l5 When a pencil (indicated in' dotted lines by 38 in Fig. 2) is brought into operative relation with the Sharpener, the point of the pencil is automatically forced to the right by the action of the spring-controlled chuck head 18. The crank 14 being rotated, the

pencil is sharpened by the joint action of the cutters 15, 15, which engage as much of the pencil as is allowed to project through the slots 39 of the guide block 24. The

pencil continues to be moved to the right until its4 point engages the hooked end 31 of the point adjuster. When this takes place 4it will be evident that the further sharpening of the pencil will cease, since the pencil can no longer be fed to bring new portions into engagement with the cutters 15. When it is desired to change the length of the point of a pencil to be sharpened, the

arm'32 of the point adjuster 28 is moved either toward or away from the block support 37 preferably by means of the handle 40. KThe point adjuster is held in any desired position by the engagement of the small lug 35 with one of the cup-shaped de- 40 pressions 36 in the partition 22. When the arm 32 is moved toward the block support 37 to such an extent that the abutment member 34 engages the outer side of the block support 37, it will be evident that no further inward movement of the arm 32 can take place; By this movement the arm 30 has been moved to the right into the position at which the maximum length of pencil point is obtained. Since the arm 30 is located the twocutters 15, it will be evidentthat is is very desirable to limit the movement of the arm 30, as in this way not only is the danger of sharpening a pencil to a needle point avoided but also the arm 30 is prevented from being brought directly into engagement with the `cuttmg surfaces of the cutters 15. rlhe outward movement of the arm 32 and the corresponding movement to the left ofthe arm 30 are limited by the engagement -of the arm 30 against the end of the guide block 24.

As thecutters 15 are reduced in diameter being not only to'assist in holding i adjuster comprising a naoaeoe by sharpening, it is desirable to be able to vary the limit of movement of the point adjuster, and in order to accomplish this l adjust the -abutment member 34 of the point adjuster to suitable position. `lf it is desired to decrease the limit ofhthe movement of the point adjuster, a screw driver or other similar tool is inserted in the slot 33 and the abutment member 34 is spread slightly, as, for. example, into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.A 0n the other hand, limit of movement of the point adjuster so that the arm 30 may bel moved farther to the right, the abutment member 34 is bent toward the main portion of the arm 32, as, for example, by means of a pair of pncers. In this way not only is the point adjuster readily adjustable within its fixed limit of movement, but this limit may' also readily be changed when desired.'

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatmany changes could be made in the detailed construction of the parts which l have described without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What l claim is:

, 1. ln a pencil Sharpener, the combination of a rotary cutter frame having a stop surface thereon, a rotary cutter carried by said cutter frame, and a point adjuster pivotally mounted on said frame, said point adjuster comprising a lever having one arm thereof adjacent tosaid cutter and adapted to limit the feeding of a pencil to be sharpened and the other arm of said lever having a slot in the end thereof, with a readily bendable integrally formed abutment member adjacent to, said slot, said abutment member adapted to be brought into engagement with said stop surface, whereby the limit of movement of said lever is adjustably controlled.

' 2. In a pencil Sharpener, the combinationof a rotary cutter frame having a stop surface thereon, a pair of rotary cutters carried by said cutter frame, and a point adjuster pivotally mounted on said frame, said pomt bell-crank lever having one arm thereof projecting between sald -cutters and adapted to limtthe feeding of a pencil to be sharpened and the' other arm of said `lever having a slot in its end, with a readily 'bendable integrally formed abutment member adjacent to said slot, said abutment member adapted to vbe brought .into engagement withy said stop surface,

wherebythe limit of movement of said point adjuster may be adjustably controlled.

CHARLES C. SPENGLER. Witnesses: 1 f HENRY M. Hnmrf ylEiowIN C. Looms.

if it is desired to increase the iit 

